Saturday, February 18, 2012

Would I Like Me if I Met Me?

This is a weird idea, but I wonder what I would think of me if I met me.

Now, I'm not hung up on first impressions and I really only care about them if I'm in a job interview, and I'm not all about trying to please other people. I do understand thinking about how I come off to other people just to have some social graciousness. Beyond that I don't really care what people think about me. I don't care about being like other people--I'm a unique individual so I shouldn't try to be someone else. I don't really care if people like my ideas--I tend to think in terms of I'll say things like it is, or the way I understand things to be and if someone doesn't like what I say it's not my problem. Let the chips fall where they may. There are things to be gained from this idea: people who act this way will be respected for who they are or for sticking to their beliefs even if others don't agree with the ideas necessarily, assuming others know how to give you this kind of respect. George Washington said "If you try to please everybody you will please nobody", and I firmly believe this.

But all the same, I don't know if I would like me if I met me. I would probably like my ideas and feel like I met someone who thinks just like me. I think the biggest thing I don't know if I would like about me is my idiosyncrasies, things I can't really change about myself but possess whether I like it or not. Oh well, I can't waste too much energy on this idea. I guess I'll let the people I know decide whether I'm "likable" or not and what to like about me and what is peripheral that doesn't really matter. It's a strange idea that I think about from time to time.